Removable safety chain tie down apparatus

ABSTRACT

A tie down apparatus that may be utilized for securing an item, such as a safety chain, wherein the tie down apparatus may be used with a hitch mounting system. In one embodiment, the tie down apparatus may include a receiving member, a tie down member, and a clocking member. The receiving member may include an opening located there through. The tie down member may include at least one aperture, wherein the tie down member may be capable of being located and rotated within the receiving member. The tie down member may be rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise. The locking member may include at least one leg capable of being housed within the aperture. The locking member may engage the receiving member once the tie down member is rotated, thereby trapping the item within the tie down apparatus.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/358,789, titled “Removable Safety Chain Tie Down Apparatus, filed onNov. 22, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 13/752,243, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,522,583, titled “Removable SafetyChain Tie Down Apparatus, filed on Jan. 28, 2013, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/541,976, nowU.S. Pat. No. 8,360,458, titled “Removable Safety Chain Tie DownApparatus,” filed on Jul. 5, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/578,978, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,215,658,titled “Removable Safety Chain Tie Down Apparatus” filed on Oct. 14,2009, which claims benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.61/195,968, titled “Removable Safety Chain Tie Down Apparatus,” filed onOct. 14, 2008, all of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety byreference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to hitches used for coupling atrailer to a towing vehicle and more particularly to a removable tiedown apparatus for securing the safety chains of a trailer being towed.

BACKGROUND

It is well known in the art to utilize a trailer hitch to connect atrailer to a towing vehicle. There are many different types of trailerhitches known in the art that may be attached to the towing vehicle in avariety of ways, depending on the type of hitch. Some of the most commontypes of hitches include gooseneck, fifth wheel, front mount, and thelike. Typically, trailers are connected to a towing vehicle by way of aball hitch secured to the vehicle and a ball socket coupling mechanismon the trailer that mounts over the ball and thereby allows for thetrailer to pivot behind the towing vehicle.

The ball hitch of some hitches, such as gooseneck and fifth wheel, forexample, is commonly mounted in the bed of a pickup truck near thelongitudinal centerline of the bed, so that the weight of the trailer isevenly distributed between the tires on the two sides of the pickuptruck. This type of hitch is often secured to the truck structure in anopening cut in the bed of the truck, so that a substantial portion ofthe hitch attachment is located below the bed of the truck. In addition,the ball typically may be removed or lowered to a stowed position belowthe bed to ensure that the use of the bed is not substantially hinderedby the presence of the ball.

In addition, there are five classes of hitches for towing trailers. Eachclass is designed for a specific trailer weight range. When selectingthe appropriate hitch make sure the weight rating of the hitch isgreater than the loaded weight of the trailer that will be towed. Thetow vehicle capacity for weight carrying and hitch attachment will varyand will sometimes dictate the class of hitch that can be used. Theclass of hitch helps determine how much weight can safely be fastened tothe towing vehicle, whereas the style differences exist to accommodatedifferent towing needs and different towing vehicles. Gooseneck trailerhitches are considered to be heavy duty and are made to fasten trailersweighing 10,000 pounds or more. Gooseneck hitches are made toaccommodate things like horse trailers and other oddly shaped trailerswhose weight is not evenly distributed.

A gooseneck hitch is designed for use in a pickup truck similar to afifth wheel. The difference is that the gooseneck uses a ball andcoupler verses a kingpin and pin receiver. Gooseneck hitches are offeredin a few types of configurations and can be mounted above or below thetrucks pickup bed. Either design (above or below) allows for minimalobstruction when the ball is not in the towing position.

As is known in the art, a gooseneck trailer hitch is placed in the truckbed above the rear axle and the trailer is then secured to it. Agooseneck hitch is much stronger than a regular ball hitch and can haulmuch more weight. The primary goal of the gooseneck hitch is to provideas much of the gooseneck hitch assembly as possible beneath the bed ofthe pick-up truck. The hitch balls themselves are typically removable orretractable so that when the hitch is not in use, the hitch ball may beremoved or retracted so as not to obstruct the bed of the pick-up truckin any significant manner.

With primary emphasis placed on storing/removing these hitch assembliesso as to avoid obstructions within the truck bed, hitch assemblies havegenerally overlooked the importance of placement of maintenance fittingsand typically only include such fittings in inconvenient locations, suchas under the bed of the truck.

Consumers often utilize additional trailer hitch accessories with theirtrailers. These accessories are products that mount or secure to thetrailer, such as safety chains, couplers, coupler locks, jacks, trailerlights, bearing protectors, winches and hitch balls, for example.

It is well known in the art, to utilize safety chains with a trailer.Safety chains are an added safety measure that is used to provide asecondary means of connection between the rear of the towing vehicle andthe front of the trailer or towed vehicle in case of separation. If thesafety chain is to be of value, assurance must be had that the safetychain will stay connected to the link if the hitch fails. The consumershould also make sure that the safety chains are never dragging on theroad when hooked up. Safety chains come in a variety of different sizesand strengths. It is important to always use a safety chain that isequal to or stronger than the towing system that is being used.

Safety chains may be secured between the trailer and an anchor withinthe truck, preferably associated with the hitch to prevent the trailerfrom breaking away from the pickup truck in the event that the hitchuncouples from the hitch ball. To insure that the safety chain anchordoes not substantially obstruct the bed of the truck when the hitch isnot being used, the anchor must be adapted so that it may be removedfrom the hitch or so that it may be lowered to a stowed position in thehitch. Therefore, a need exists in the art to provide an improved safetychain tie down apparatus that is easily removable and operable as wellas work with a variety of different hitches.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention provides an apparatus for a removable safety chaintie down. The tie down apparatus may be utilized for securing an item,such as a safety chain, wherein the tie down apparatus may be used witha hitch mounting system. In one embodiment, the tie down apparatus mayinclude a receiving member, a tie down member, and a clocking member.The receiving member may include an opening located there through. Thetie down member may include at least one aperture, wherein the tie downmember may be capable of being located and rotated within the receivingmember. The tie down member may be rotated either clockwise orcounterclockwise. The locking member may include at least one legcapable of being housed within the aperture. The locking member mayengage the receiving member once the tie down member is rotated, therebytrapping the item within the tie down apparatus.

A hitch mounting system may include at least one rail capable of beingconnected to a vehicle frame, at least one socket formed in the at leastone rail, a mid rail connected to the at least one rail, where the midrail includes a hitch ball socket, and a receiving member capable ofbeing secured to the at least one socket. The hitch mounting system mayalso include a body member capable of being inserted into the receivingmember, and a locking member extending through the body member, whererotating the body member in a direction displaces the locking memberperpendicular to the direction of rotation engaging the locking memberwith the receiving member.

A hitch mounting system may include at least one rail capable of beingconnected to a vehicle frame, where the rail includes a pair of socketsintegrally formed with the at least one rail, a mid rail capable ofbeing connected to the at least one rail, where the mid rail includes ahitch ball socket, and a receiving member capable of being securedwithin the socket. The hitch mounting system may also include a bodymember having at least one aperture, where the body member is capable ofengagement with the receiving member, and a locking member having atleast one leg capable of being housed within the at least one apertureof the body member, where upon rotation of the body member about a firstaxis the locking member is displaced in a second axis parallel with thefirst axis engaging the locking member with the receiving member.

A hitch mounting system may include at least one tubular member, acentral member attached to the tubular member, a pair of integrallyformed members having first and second end portions, where the first endportions are received within the tubular member and the second endportions are capable of attaching to a frame of a vehicle, and a socketintegrally formed in each of the pair of integrally formed members. Thehitch mounting system may also include a pair of receiving members,where each of the pair of receiving members is positioned in thesockets, a body member inserted into the receiving member, and a lockingmember extending through the body member, where rotating the body memberin a direction displaces the locking member perpendicular to thedirection of rotation engaging the locking member with the receivingmember securing the body member to the receiving member.

A tie down apparatus for securing an item is shown and described. Thetie down apparatus may include a body member capable of being locatedand rotated in a first direction within a receiving member, and alocking member extending through the body member, where rotating thebody member in the first direction displaces the locking member in asecond direction perpendicular to the first direction engaging thelocking member and generally preventing rotation of the body member.

A tie down apparatus for securing an item may include a monolithicallyformed body member capable of being located and rotated in a firstdirection within a receiving member, the body member including at leastone aperture and a pair of legs extending through the at least oneaperture. The tie down apparatus may also include a bridge memberattached between the pair of legs, where the pair of legs and bridgemember being attached generally prevents separation of the pair of legsand bridge member from the body member.

A tie down apparatus for securing an item may include a body membercapable of being positioned within a receiving member, a post extendingfrom the body member a distance, and a locking member extending throughthe body member. The locking member may include a pair of legs extendingthrough the body member, a bridge member attached between the pair oflegs, where the pair of legs and bridge member being attached generallyprevents separation of the pair of legs and bridge member from the bodymember. The tie down apparatus may also disclose where rotating the bodymember in a first direction displaces the pair of legs in a seconddirection perpendicular to the first direction generally preventingrotation of the body member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Objects and advantages together with the operation of the invention maybe better understood by reference to the detailed description taken inconnection with the following illustrations, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the safetychain tie down assembly in a locked position.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the safety chain tie downassembly of FIG. 1 in an unlocked position.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of an insertionor tie down member in a locked position.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the tie down member of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the insertionor tie down member in an unlocked position.

FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of the tie down member of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a prior art hitch mountingsystem.

FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of an integratedhitch mounting system.

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of an integratedhitch mounting system.

FIG. 10 illustrates a perspective view of an alternative embodiment ofan insertion or tie down member.

FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of atie down member.

FIG. 12 illustrates a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of atie down member.

FIG. 13 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of an integratedhitch mounting system with an insertion or tie down member securedthereto and a chain secured to the insertion or tie down member.

FIG. 14 illustrates a side view of embodiments of a tie down member.

FIG. 15 illustrates a perspective view of embodiments of a tie downmember.

FIG. 16 illustrates a side view of the tie down member of FIG. 14 in anunengaged position.

FIG. 17 illustrates a perspective view of the tie down member of FIG. 14in an engaged position.

FIG. 18 illustrates a side of the tie down member of FIG. 14 in anengaged position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilizedand structural and functional changes may be made without departing fromthe respective scope of the present invention.

A removable safety chain tie down apparatus or assembly 10 isillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The removable safety chain tie downapparatus 10 can improve the safety of securing the trailer to a towingvehicle. The assembly 10 may include an insertion or tie down member 20,a locking member 30 and a receiving member 40. The tie down assembly 10provides a practical and hidden safety chain tie down apparatus that maybe associated with and attached to a trailer mounting system where theapparatus 10 may be adapted to reliably and securely engage the links ofa safety chain (not shown). Unlike the prior art, the safety chain tiedown assembly 10 may be reliably secured to the safety chain itselfwithout the need for additional intermediate hooks or couplings thatmight be subject to failure.

The safety chain tie down apparatus 10 may be constructed to securelyand removably anchor down the safety chain that may be in use with atrailer hitch. The apparatus 10 may be of any number of appropriateshapes or sizes in addition to those shown in the figures and may have astreamlined design and appearance that may be aesthetically pleasing.The safety chain apparatus 10 may be used with any appropriate trailerhitch mounting kit, such as those that utilize rail mounts or crossmembers 12 for example, such as with the “Signature Series” produced andsold by Cequent.

The insertion or tie down member 20 may be of any suitable shape orsize, such as substantially ovalar, rectangular or other shapes. The tiedown member 20 may be constructed from a variety of appropriatematerials, such as of a durable plastic material. The tie down member 20may be a one-piece integrally formed member.

The insertion or tie down member 20 is illustrated in FIGS. 1-6. The tiedown member 20 may include a body 22, a handle 24 and a column or post26. The handle 24 may extend outwardly from one side of the body 22. Thecolumn 26 may extend outwardly from an opposite side of the body 22,whereby the handle 24 and the column 26 may extend outwardly in oppositedirections from one another.

The handle 24 may be of any appropriate shape or size. The handle 24 mayalso be of a contoured shape for ease and comfort of use, as best shownin FIGS. 3 and 5. While the handle 24 is shown as extending from twosides of the body 22, it is to be understood that the handle 24 may onlybe attached to the body 22 on one side (such as a generally L-shapedhandle) or may be attached on any desired number of sides, such as threeor four, and the like. In addition, the handle 24 may be integrallyformed with the body 22 or may be a separate piece from the handle,which may require attachment by any appropriate means, such as withfasteners, welding, or the like.

The column 26 of the tie down member 20 may be of any appropriate shapeor size, such as a cylindrical, ovalar, triangular or rectangular andare not be limited to the shapes shown in the Figures. The column orpost 26 may also be curved into a generally hooked shape as it extendsaway from the body 22. The body 22 may include at least one aperture 28,as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. The aperture 28 may be of anyappropriate shape or size, such as being correspondingly shaped andsized to a leg 34 on the locking member 30. The apertures 28 may belocated on either side of the column 26.

As an alternative, the tie down member 20 may also include at least onelocking or compression tab 56 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. The locking orcompression tabs 56 may be positioned at any appropriate location on thetie down member 20, such as located near the base(s) of the handle 24.The locking tabs 56 may be of any appropriate shape or size, such as agenerally circular or square shape, for example. The locking orcompression tabs 56 either may allow for the locking member 30 to snapinto a secure engagement with the body 22 or to provide a compressionfit between the locking member 30 and the body

The locking member 30 is illustrated in FIGS. 1-6. The locking member 30may include a body or bridge member 32 and at least one leg 34. Thebridge member 32 may be of any appropriate shape or size, such as agenerally square, rectangular, or circular shape, for example. Thelocking member 30 may be a one-piece integrally formed member. On eitherend of the bridge member 32 there may be a leg 34. The legs 34 mayextend outwardly, such as perpendicularly away from the bridge member32, for example. The legs 34 may be of any appropriate shape or size,such as, for example, a cylindrical, ovular, rectangular, or flat plane,for example. While the locking component 30 has been shown and disclosedutilizing certain features, the locking component 30 may utilize anyappropriate configuration to lock the safety chain into place within thetie down member 20 and receiving member 40.

As an alternative, the locking member 30 may include at least onelifting tab 36, as shown in FIGS. 3-6. The lifting tabs 36 may belocated at any appropriate location on the body or bridge member 32,such as on opposing sides of the legs 34 but should not be limited tosuch. The lifting tabs 35 may also be of any appropriate shape or size.The lifting tabs 36 may be utilized to ease and aid in the lifting ofthe locking member 30 up from within the tie down member 20. FIGS. 10-12illustrate alternative embodiments of the tie down member 20 and thelocking member 30.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 7-9 illustrate the receiving member 40. The receivingmember 40 may include an upper rim 42, at least one sidewall 44 and abase or bottom wall 46. The receiving member 40 may be of anyappropriate shape or size, such as a cylindrical, oval, or a squareshape, for example, and should not be limited to that shown in theFigures. The receiving member 40 may be a one-piece integrally formedmember. The sidewalls 44 may extend generally perpendicularly from theupper rim 42. While shown having two sidewalls 44 it is to be understoodthat there may be any appropriate number of sidewalls 44 and should notbe limited to that shown and disclosed herein.

The base or bottom wall 46 may connect the two sidewalls 44, as bestshown in FIG. 2. The bottom wall 46 and the sidewalls 44 may generallyform an opening 54 therein, as shown in FIG. 2. The receiving member 40may also include an aperture 48 that may receive the column or post 26of the tie down member 20, whereby the aperture 48 may also becorrespondingly shaped and sized to receive the column 26. The upper rim42 may extend radially and outwardly from the receiving member 40. Theupper rim 42 may provide a surface for the body 22 of the tie downmember 20 to abut or rest on, for example, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and2.

In use and to secure a safety chain, for example, a consumer may placethe tie down member 20 on top of the upper rim 42 of the receivingmember 40, so that the column 26 may drop into the correspondingaperture 48. Once the tie down member 20 is placed within the receivingmember 40, the consumer may rotate the tie down member 20 ninetydegrees, either clockwise or counterclockwise, into a lock position, asbest shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

When the components of the safety chain tie down apparatus 10 have beenrotated into the correct position, the locking component 30 will dropinto place, as shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6. The locking component 30 mayprevent the tie down member 20 and thus the safety chain from coming outof the receiving member 40 during use. The locking component 30 may becaptured in the receiving member 40 to prevent it from inadvertentlycoming out of the receiving member 40 when not in use. For example, whenthe safety chain components 20, 30, 40 are properly attached, itphysically makes it impossible for the locking member 30 to unlock.

Trailer hitches, such as a gooseneck or fifth wheel hitch may be mountedto a truck bed. These types of hitches are often mounted beneath thetruck bed in conjunction with the truck's own frame rails, such as withcross members or rails 12 for example. In addition, these cross members12 may be mounted to the truck bed with the use of the receiving members40, also known as pucks. Utilizing a puck mounting system for thetrailer hitch may allow the hitch to be installed in the pickup truckbed with only four small holes. Utilizing a puck mounting system mayprovide uninhibited use of your truck bed when the hitch is dismounted.The puck mounting system may also provide for a wider platform andmounting surface, which increases the stability.

The safety chain tie down apparatus 10 may take advantage of an underbed mounting system designed for the various types of hitches. Thesetypes of hitches may mount on top of an under bed rail mounting systemwhere the hitch ball may either be removed or folded down for easyaccess. For example, the safety chain apparatus 10 may allow users thathave an existing rail kit to use the receiving members 40 for safetychain hook ups on gooseneck trailers.

FIG. 7 illustrates a prior art vehicle mounting system 50. The vehiclemounting system 50 may include at least two rails or cross members 12.The cross members 12 may include sockets 38 for attachment with areceiving member 40. The cross members 12 may mount to the vehicleframework 52 by any appropriate means, such as with fasteners, bywelding or the like. Each receiving member 40 may be mounted in a socket38 provided in either of the cross members 12. The receiving member 40may be secured in the socket 38 by any appropriate means, such as withfasteners, welding or the like. For example, a fastener, such as a bolt,could pass through an aperture in the bottom wall of the cross member 12and be secured in place by a cooperating nut and lock washer (not shown)if desired.

FIG. 8 illustrates an integrally formed mounting system 60, whereby thereceiving members 40 may be formed within the cross members 12. FIG. 9illustrates a mounting system 70 where the receiving members 40 may beplaced and secured into sockets 38 located within the cross members 12.In FIGS. 8 and 9, the cross members 12 may be attached to one another bya mid rail 14. The hitch ball socket 16 and corresponding hitch ball 18may be located on the mid rail 14.

Additional embodiments of a removable safety chain tie down apparatusaccording the present teachings are described below. In thedescriptions, all of the details and components may not be fullydescribed or shown. Rather, the features or components are describedand, in some instances, differences with the above-described embodimentsmay be pointed out. Moreover, it should be appreciated that these otherembodiments may include elements or components utilized in theabove-described embodiments although not shown or described. Thus, thedescriptions of these other embodiments are merely exemplary and notall-inclusive nor exclusive. Moreover, it should be appreciated that thefeatures, components, elements and functionalities of the variousembodiments may be combined or altered to achieve a desired removablesafety chain tie down apparatus without departing from the spirit andscope of the present teachings.

A removable safety chain tie down apparatus or assembly 110, such asthat shown in FIGS. 15-18, may include an insertion or tie down member120, a locking member 130 and a receiving member 40. The safety chaintie down apparatus 110 may be constructed to securely and removablyanchor down the safety chain often utilized with a trailer hitch. Thesafety chain tie down apparatus 110 may be of any appropriateconfiguration. It may possess any number of appropriate shapes or sizesin addition to those shown in the figures. The safety chain tie downapparatus may also have a streamlined design and appearance that may beaesthetically pleasing. The safety chain tie down apparatus 110 may beused with any appropriate trailer hitch mounting kit, such as those thatutilize rail mounts or cross members 12 for example, such as with the“Signature Series” produced and sold by Cequent. The present teachings,however, are not limited to the configuration shown or limited to usewith the cross members 12 shown. The safety chain tie sown apparatus 110may be utilized with any appropriate trailer hitch system.

The insertion or tie down member 120 may be of any suitable shape orsize, such as substantially oval, rectangular or other shapes. The tiedown member 120 may be constructed from a variety of appropriatematerials, such as of an appropriate metal material or durable plasticmaterial, including, without limitation high strength steel. The tiedown member 120 may be a one-piece integrally formed member, i.e., amonolithic member. In such embodiments, the tie down member 120 may beformed from casting of high-strength steel.

The insertion or tie down member 120 is shown in FIGS. 15-18. The tiedown member 120 may include a body 122, a handle 124 and a column orpost 126. The handle 124 may extend outwardly from one side of the body122. The column 126 may extend outwardly from an opposite side of thebody 122, whereby the handle 124 and the column 126 may extend outwardlyin opposite directions from one another.

The handle 124 may be of any appropriate shape or size. The handle 124may also be of a contoured shape for ease and comfort of use. While thehandle 124 is shown as extending from two sides of the body 122, it isto be understood that the handle 124 may only be attached to the body122 on one side (such as a generally L-shaped handle) or may be attachedon any desired number of sides, such as three or four, and the like. Inaddition, the handle 124 may be integrally formed with the body 122,such as a monolithic member, or may be a separate piece from the body122, which may require attachment by any appropriate means, such as withfasteners, welding, or the like. If, however, the safety chain tie downapparatus 110 is to be used on a heavy-duty application, the handle 124may be monolithically formed with the body 122. This may provideadditional strength.

The column 126 of the tie down member 120 may be of any appropriateshape or size, such as a cylindrical, oval, triangular or rectangularand are not be limited to the shapes shown in the Figures. The column orpost 126 may also be curved into a generally hooked shape as it extendsaway from the body 122. By way of a non-limiting example, and as shownin FIG. 16, the post 126 may be of a generally T-shape such that aportion 127 may extend from the post 126 in a generally perpendiculardirection to form the T-shape. In such embodiments, the post 126 may beinserted into the receiving member 40 and rotated such that the portion127 engages the receiving member 40 engaging or locking the tie downmember 120 with the receiving member 40 generally preventing the tiedown member 120 from being removed from the receiving member 40.

The body 122 may include at least one aperture 128, as shown in FIG. 15.The aperture 128 may be of any appropriate shape or size, such as beingcorrespondingly shaped and sized to a leg 134 on the locking member 130.The apertures 128 may be located on either side of the post 126.However, the present teachings are not limited to the configurationshown. Any appropriate configuration of the aperture 128 may be used.

The locking member 130 is shown in FIGS. 15-18. The locking member 130may include a body or bridge member 132 and at least one leg 134. Thebridge member 132 may be of any appropriate shape or size, such as agenerally square, rectangular, or circular shape, for example. On eitherend of the bridge member 132 a leg 134 may be attached. By way of anon-limiting example, legs 134 may be attached at both ends of thebridge member 132. The legs 134 may extend outwardly, such asperpendicularly away from the bridge member 132, for example. The legs134 may be of any appropriate shape or size, such as, for example, acylindrical, ovular, rectangular, or flat plane, for example.

The legs 134 may be attached to the bridge member 132 in any appropriatemanner, e.g., by welding, pinning, utilizing fasteners, adhering or acombination of such. By way of a non-limiting example, a pair of thelegs 134 may be attached to each end of the bridge member 132 by pinningthem together. The legs 134 and the bridge member 132 may includeapertures 137 sized and configured to have a pin pass therethrough tosecure them together. In such embodiments, the body 122, including thehandle 124 and post 126, may be a monolithic member formed such asthrough casting.

In such embodiments, the legs 134 may be inserted into the apertures 128in the body 122. The bridge member 132 may be positioned over the legs134 such that each of the legs 134 extends perpendicularly from each endof the bridge member 132. The apertures 137 on the legs 134 and thebridge member 132 may be generally aligned. Once aligned, a pin membermay be inserted into and through the apertures 137 securing the legs 134with the bridge member 132. Although, the legs 124 may be attached tothe bridge member 132 in any appropriate manner—they are not limited tobeing pinned. This configuration may result in the legs 134 and bridgemember 132 being a trapped subassembly held within the body 122. Thisconfiguration may be very robust and may withstand significant forces,including, without limitation side forces. Prior art systems may not bedesigned or configured to withstand such side-loading. While the lockingcomponent 130 has been shown and disclosed utilizing certain features,the locking component 130 may utilize any appropriate configuration tolock the safety chain into place within the tie down member 120 andreceiving member 40. Further, while the configuration and assembly ofthe legs 134 and bridge member 132 are shown and described above, thepresent teachings are not limited to such. Any appropriate configurationand assembly may be used without departing from the present teachings.

As noted above, the body 122 being a monolithic member may permit thetie down member 120 to be configured to withstand more forces and loadsthan other prior art tie down members are configured to handle. By wayof a non-limiting example, the tie down member 120 may be configured towithstand side loads. The monolithic nature of the body 122 maygenerally avoid weak points that may otherwise be present in tie downmembers that have bodies attached through other methods. Moreover, themonolithic nature may result in the handle 124 being of a robustconfiguration such that it may withstand significant forces that may beapplied during operation. The safety chain may be attached to the handle124 and during such attachment, side loads may be applied—the tie downmember 120 is configured to handle such side-loads. Further, thevertical legs 134 and bridge member 132 may be a trapped subassembly,i.e., they may be positioned within the body 122 and then attached asdetailed above. This trapped subassembly may allow significant loads tobe applied to the tie down member 120 during operation.

Further still, in some embodiments when the legs 134 are attached to thebridge member 132 and inserted into the apertures 128, the legs 134 mayextend below from the body 122 a distance that is substantially equal toor greater than a distance the post 126 may extend from the body 122. Byway of a non-limiting example, the legs 134 may extend down from theapertures 128 a distance that is generally equivalent to the length ofthe post 126. The extended length of the legs 134 may generallywithstand additional lateral and twisting forces that other prior artdesigns are not configured to handle.

The locking member 130 may include at least one lifting tab 136. Thelifting tabs 136 may be located at any appropriate location on the bodyor bridge member 132, such as on opposing sides of the legs 134 butshould not be limited to such. The lifting tabs 136 may also be of anyappropriate shape or size. The lifting tabs 136 may be utilized to easeand aid in the lifting of the locking member 130 up from within the tiedown member 120.

In use and to secure a safety chain, for example, a consumer may placethe tie down member 120 on top of the upper rim 42 of the receivingmember 40, so that the post 126 may drop into the corresponding aperture48. Once the tie down member 120 is placed within the receiving member40, the consumer may rotate the tie down member 120, an appropriateamount, such as ninety degrees, in a predetermined direction such aseither clockwise or counterclockwise, into a lock position. In rotatingthe tie down member 120, the portions 127 may engage the receivingmember 40 generally preventing removal of the tie down member 120 fromthe receiving member 40.

When the components of the safety chain tie down apparatus 110 have beenrotated into the correct position, the locking component 130 may dropinto a locking position. The locking component 130 may prevent the tiedown member 120 and thus the safety chain from coming out of thereceiving member 40 during use. The locking component 130 may becaptured in the receiving member 40 to prevent it from inadvertentlycoming out of the receiving member 40 when not in use. By way of anon-limiting example, when the safety chain components 120, 130, 40 areproperly attached, it physically makes it impossible for the lockingmember 130 to unlock.

Specifically, the locking component 130 when in the locking positiongenerally prevents the tie down member 120 from rotating within thereceiving member 40. The legs 134 operatively engage the receivingmember 40 generally preventing rotation of the tie down member 120 to anunlocked position. As the tie down member 120 is generally preventedfrom rotating, the portions 127 remain engaged with the receiving member40. This generally prevents the tie down member 120 from becomingdisengaged or otherwise unlocked from the receiving member 40. Further,when the safety chain is inserted into the loop formed by the handle124, it may rest against the locking component 130. By way of anon-limiting example, the safety chain may engage the handle 124 andrest against the bridge member 132 and lifting tabs 136 if present. Thesafety chain may generally fill the open space of the handle 124, whichmay further prevent the locking component 130 from disengaging from thetie down member 120. The safety chain may generally prevent the legs 134from rising within the apertures 128. As the safety chain generallyprevents the legs 134 from rising, the tie down member 120 cannot rotatewithin the receiving member 40 as the legs 134 prevent rotation of thetie down member 120 to the unlocked position. The tie down member 120being incapable of rotating permits the portions 127 to remain engagedwith the receiving member 40 preventing removal of the tie down member120 from the receiving member.

In operation, the safety chain tie down apparatus may be used withtrailer hitches. Trailer hitches, such as a gooseneck or fifth wheelhitch may be mounted to a load bed of a vehicle. These types of hitchesare often mounted beneath the load bed in conjunction with the truck'sown frame rails, such as with cross members or rails 12 for example. Inaddition, these cross members 12 may be mounted to the truck bed withthe use of the receiving members 40, also known as pucks. Utilizing apuck mounting system for the trailer hitch may allow the hitch to beinstalled in the pickup truck bed with only four small holes. Utilizinga puck mounting system may provide uninhibited use of your truck bedwhen the hitch is dismounted. The puck mounting system may also providefor a wider platform and mounting surface, which increases thestability.

The safety chain tie down apparatus 110 may take advantage of an underbed mounting system designed for the various types of hitches. Thesetypes of hitches may mount on top of an under bed rail mounting systemwhere the hitch ball may either be removed or folded down for easyaccess. For example, the safety chain apparatus 110 may allow users thathave an existing rail kit to use the receiving members 40 for safetychain hook ups on gooseneck trailers.

The tie down 120 may be of a construction to handle significant loads.It may be capable of functioning with high-rated, heavy-duty goosenecksystems. The tie down 120 may be capable of handling not only forces infore and aft directions relative to the rails 12, but also forces inside-to-side directions. Specifically, the monolithically formed body122 along with the trapped subassembly of the locking component 130,i.e., the bridge member 132 and legs 134, and the longer length legs 134contribute to the tie down member 120 being capable of handling theseadditional loads.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has beenillustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoingdetailed description, it is to be understood that the present inventionis not to be limited to just the preferred embodiment disclosed, butthat the invention described herein is capable of numerousrearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing fromthe scope of the claims hereafter.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:
 1. A tie down apparatuscomprising: a body member; a post extending from the body member, thepost capable of being positioned within a receiving member of anunderbed hitch mounting system; a handle extending from the body member;and a locking member engaged with the body member and being moveablerelative to the body member between engaged and unengaged positions,wherein the locking member in the engaged position prevents rotation ofthe body member from a second rotational position to a first rotationalposition.
 2. The tie down apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handle iscontoured to secure a safety chain.
 3. The tie down apparatus of claim2, wherein the handle is attached to one side of the body member.
 4. Thetie down apparatus of claim 3, wherein the handle is monolithicallyformed with the body member.
 5. The tie down apparatus of claim 1,wherein post generally prevents displacement of the body member from thereceiving member.
 6. The tie down apparatus of claim 5, wherein the posthas a generally T-shaped portion.
 7. The tie down apparatus of claim 6,wherein the generally T-shaped portion extends from the post in agenerally perpendicular direction.
 8. The tie down apparatus of claim 1,wherein the body member is capable of being rotated in either of aclockwise and counter-clockwise direction.
 9. The tie down apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the post is positionable within the receiving member ofthe underbed hitch mounting system when the body member is in the firstrotational position and the post is prevented from removal when the bodymember is in the second rotational position.
 10. The tie down apparatusof claim 9, wherein the body member is rotated ninety degrees from thefirst rotational position to the second rotational position.
 11. A tiedown apparatus comprising: a body member rotatable about an axis betweenfirst and second rotational positions within a receiving member; a postextending from the body member; the post having a generally T-shapedportion configured to engage a receiving member of an underbed hitchmounting system; a handle extending from the body member, the handleconfigured to accept a safety chain; and a locking member engaged withthe body member and being moveable relative to the body member betweenengaged and unengaged positions, wherein the locking member in theengaged position prevents rotation of the body member from the secondrotational position to the first rotational position.
 12. The tie downapparatus of claim 11, wherein the handle is contoured to secure asafety chain.
 13. The tie down apparatus of claim 12, wherein the handleis attached to one side of the body member.
 14. The tie down apparatusof claim 13, wherein the handle is monolithically formed with the bodymember.
 15. The tie down apparatus of claim 11, wherein post generallyprevents displacement of the body member from the receiving member. 16.The tie down apparatus of claim 15, wherein the post has a generallyT-shaped portion.
 17. The tie down apparatus of claim 16, wherein thegenerally T-shaped portion extends from the post in a generallyperpendicular direction.
 18. The tie down apparatus of claim 11, whereinthe body member is capable of being rotated in either of a clockwise andcounter-clockwise direction.
 19. The tie down apparatus of claim 11,wherein the post is receivable within the receiving member of theunderbed hitch mounting system when the body member is in the firstrotational position and the post is prevented from removal when the bodymember is in the second rotational position.
 20. The tie down apparatusof claim 19, wherein the body member is rotated ninety degrees from thefirst rotational position to the second rotational position.